Traci Hall

I wish I could knit as fast as Paislee Shaw. Of course, my quality of life doesn't depend on how fast my own needles can fly. I've enjoyed Traci Hall's Scottish Shire cozy series for its depiction of life in small-town Nairn, Scotland, for its knitting, and for its characters, especially the core group of Paislee, her grandfather Angus, and her ten-year-old son Brodie. My enjoyment of Murder at a Scottish Social was diminished, undoubtedly due to the presence of the group of acid-tongued show more divas at the charity event. I dislike people like this so much that I don't want to spend even a second of my time with fictional ones, let alone real ones.

I was more interested in the newest developments in Paislee's family life. How Grandpa Angus' search for his missing son was progressing and how Brodie was dealing with problems at school. I would much rather have spent time knitting and chatting with Paislee and letting those divas take care of themselves. Ah well.

If you're in the mood for a puzzling mystery that's steeped in small-town Scottish life and focused on a charming mother, son, grandfather, and pup, you should pick up one of Traci Hall's Scottish Shire mysteries. And if you find divas amusing, Murder at a Scottish Social will definitely be your cup of tea.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

Paislee Shaw is at the Kirk, helping her best friend Lydia prepare for the latter's wedding. She's radiant in a silver wedding gown, and the only thing missing is the Luckenbooth brooch that her fiancé Corbin gave her. It is considered good luck in the Smythe family to wear it on one's wedding day, and she's frantic to find it.

But no amount of searching will recover it, and Lydia decides that if she wears another, a bit hidden by her flowers, no one might notice. Unfortunately, before Lydia show more can go down the aisle, a Smythe cousin emerges from the bathroom and promptly falls down the church stairs and dies. Now the family insists the wedding be postponed; and worse, some members make no bones about disliking Lydia.

To top things off, Paislee's grandfather is concerned for his missing son Craigh, and the police think he knows where Craigh is, even as Grandpa insists he hasn't seen him. Paislee has problems of her own, not the least of them her growing affection for Brody's principal and DI Zeffer.

Will anything get resolved? Will Lydia ever get married? Will the 'curse' be lifted? And most of all, will Paislee find a killer who might try to do her best friend in again...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all. They have delighted me each one. In the first, I was a bit annoyed at the Scottish prose, but now I zipped through the book (I usually read a book a day) and felt almost like I was a local. It's an interesting twist that I was speaking Scottish in my head (ha).

The plot is so intriguing that I just could not put this book down. Having grown fond of the characters: Paislee, Grandpa, Brody, Lydia and even Wallace -- that I wanted them to have the best, and Lydia in this book seemed so sad and distraught for awhile that I actually felt like punching Corbin's stepmother. (You probably will, too).

There are many suspects as to whom the murderer is; the Smythe clan is tight, but there are many off them, and none of them are willing to give each other up. Paislee has her work cut out for her trying to figure it out...even if DI Payne is telling her to stay out of it each time she gives him another clue (no surprise there!) And Zeffer is on the hunt for someone so he's in and out of the story, but you see what is happening beneath the surface easily (and I won't tell you what).

The entire story is full of mystery, machinations, and secrets. It is well-told and has many twists, with the threads pulling in different directions. Yet when the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, we once again realize that no matter the intentions, you cannot understand the mind of a killer. I really loved this book and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. show less

Knit shop owner Paislee Shaw continues her winning ways in Murder in a Scottish Garden, the second in Traci Hall's Scottish Shire cozy series set on Scotland's north coast. The mystery is the type to keep you scratching your head as you try to unravel all the knots and tangles. True to any rich family worth its salt, those on the Leery Estate hold themselves to different standards, and everyone on the property seems to have at least four different versions of the truth that they share with show more both Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer and the ever-inquisitive Paislee Shaw.

One of the things that I like about this series is that there's more going on than the mystery. There's the problem of Paislee's missing uncle, a mystery that her grandfather seems loathe to share and which ties into the strong parents-and-their-children theme of the book as does the lawsuit facing the school. There's also the problem of the eviction notice that she and the other shopkeepers have been served. If Paislee is forced to move from her prime location, it could have dire consequences for her business. If she loses Cashmere Crush, women won't have any place to gather for their Knit & Sip meetings or a place to buy yarn or order one of Paislee's custom-knit items.

And of course, like any good cozy, all this is held together by a fine cast of characters, in particular Paislee, her son Brody, and her grandfather. I like how Paislee's primary concern is her son, how she isn't looking for a man but thinks nothing of trying to play matchmaker for her single friends. There is no shortage of eligible men in Nairn. For example, there's the "high-end fashion model" handsome detective inspector who seems to be slowly learning to appreciate Paislee's sleuthing skills, and there's the local headmaster with the irresistible dimples. Well, they used to be irresistible until that lawsuit.

I find Paislee, her family, and her sleuthing to be good for what ails me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you did, too. If you're new to the series, I suggest that you begin with the first book, Murder in a Scottish Shire. You have some fun in store!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

4.5 Stars
An emotionally charged addition to the series, this book transports readers to rural Scotland for the community Highland games and includes some thought-provoking themes, which is a nice change up from more lighthearted cozies. I love the setting and the returning characters, but it's the writing style that keeps me coming back for more. I enjoy the cultural and background tidbits the author incorporates to illustrate each scene (highland dancing and caber tossing), and the show more relatable relationship challenges (whether between families, friends, or romantic partners). Keep it up! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

Net Galley Feedback show less